Lost in Plain Sight is an international music and humanities project dedicated to rediscovering the life, work and legacy of Gaspar Cassadó (1897–1966), one of the most remarkable Catalan cellists and composers of the 20th century. Combining live musical performances with historical research and engaging commentary, the project explores Cassadó’s artistic contribution, his relationship with Pablo Casals, and the complex cultural and political context of the Spanish Civil War. Through the music of Cassadó and his contemporaries, the project invites audiences to rediscover a fascinating musical figure whose legacy deserves greater recognition.

Led by cellist Katie Tertell in collaboration with scholar Dr H Rosi Song, the project has been presented at festivals, universities and cultural institutions across Europe and the United States. Its Sofia presentation will offer Bulgarian audiences a unique opportunity to discover this compelling chapter of European musical history.

PART OF „CHAMBEr concerts“

the performers

Katie Tertell – cello
Dr. H. Rosi Song – co-host
Greta Mutlu – violin
Veneta Neynska – piano

the programme

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Duo for violin and cello

Gaspar Cassadó (1897-1966)
“Dance of the Green Devil”
Toccata on a theme by Frescobaldi

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
Spanish Dance No. 1 from the opera La vida breve
Siete canciones populares españolas

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Sonata for cello and piano

Award-winning American cellist Katie Tertell is a performer and artistic curator exploring innovative ways to connect audiences with classical music. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival in West Virginia, a core member of Musici Ireland, and co-founder of the research project Lost in Plain Sight, dedicated to rediscovering the music and legacy of composer and cellist Gaspar Cassadó.

A former member of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Katie performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing at major venues and festivals including the Barbican, Southbank Centre, BBC Proms and National Concert Hall of Ireland. Her work has been featured in The Strad and on NPR. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, she has commissioned 13 chamber works since 2019. Katie teaches cello at Durham University in the UK and holds performance degrees from Indiana University, the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.

https://www.katietertell.com/

Dr. H. Rosi Song is Professor of Spanish at Bryn Mawr College and author of Lost in Transition: Constructing Memory in Contemporary Spain (2016), and co-editor of the volumes Traces of Contamination: Unearthing Francoist Legacy in Contemporary Spanish Discourse (2005) and Towards a Cultural Archive of la Movida: Back to the Future (2013). She has published widely on contemporary Spanish culture, film and literature. Her frequent travels to Barcelona over almost two decades has have shaped her appreciation and knowledge of Catalan culture and its gastronomic traditions.

Violinist Greta Mutlu lives and works in London, where she pursues an active and multifaceted international career.
Her recent engagements include performances at the BBC Proms with the Sinfonia of London and the Aurora Orchestra, a concert at Carnegie Hall with the Colin Currie Group, and the world premiere of a concerto for solo violin and orchestra by Deborah Pritchard. As a soloist, she has performed Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto and Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons. Chamber music plays a significant role in her artistic work; she has performed at the Royal Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Kings Place, and the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. Greta is a sought-after orchestral musician and has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Aurora Orchestra, and other leading ensembles. Since 2021, she has been part of the West End production of the musical Hamilton. She plays a violin by Carlo Giuseppe Testore, provided by the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation.

Veneta Neynska is a Bulgarian pianist known for her original projects and insightful interpretations that bring together music, literature and the visual arts. She graduated from the National School of Music in Sofia with a National Diploma, before continuing her studies with John Perry at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Her notable projects include the albums Brevitas and The Architec’s View, as well as the music documentary Dimitar Nenov and the Dimensions of Elegance, created in collaboration with director Jassen Haralambev. Veneta is an active researcher and advocate for the music of Dimitar Nenov. Her recording of his exceptionally demanding Toccata is the first official one by a female pianist.

As a performer, she is distinguished by her interest in rarely performed repertoire, including works by Clara Schumann, the sons of J. S. Bach, Alexandre Tansman and Bulgarian composers. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Sofia Art Institute and the creator of concert series such as Concerts with History, alongside innovative concert and educational projects.
https://neynska.com